Client

Creche & Kindergarten Association of Queensland (C&K)

 

Details

The Ayr Early Childhood Education & Care Centre was one of a series of projects under the Queensland Government’s “Best Start” initiative.

 

The project involved the refurbishment of a disused pre-school building to accommodate a new 24-place kindergarten. This was in conjunction with a multi-purpose community facility offering a range of services from community-operated crèche groups to childhood counselling and allied health services.

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The existing building was a concrete framed, low-set building constructed circa 1950. It contained significant quantities of asbestos. The client brief and budget extended to stripping the building and ancillary structures back to a shell including the proper disposal of all asbestos before the re-fit.

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With the site dominated by a grand 100-year-old fig tree, the design strategy sort to maintain the tree as an integral part of the landscape with built elements cradling its gnarly trunk and playgrounds seeking shelter in its shade. The entry walkway arcs a journey from the street to the entrance around its trunk using the tree to shelter visitors from the elements.

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Mark Williams Architects worked closely with the builder and an arborist to ensure built incursions into the drip line of the fig tree were detailed. We did everything to ensure it remained a feature of the local environment well into the future. 

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Services

• Design

• Contract Documentation

• Contract Administration

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Builder
Watts Constructions

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Construction Value
$1.4 Million